International Holiday Spotlight: Ukrainian Unity Day

Beth Worthy

1/23/2014

Ukrainian Unity Day, which was held on Wednesday, January 22 this year, is an amazing time for the citizens of Ukraine as well as the observers of the world. Full of love, joy and overall excitement, Ukrainian Unity Day is a time where citizens from all over the world unite in spirit to celebrate a truly momentous occasion. While it is an observance and not an official public holiday in Ukraine, it celebrates the unity between Eastern and Western Ukraine through the “Treaty of Unity” back in 1919. Prior to the treaty, the two halves were ruled by two separate empires.

How do people celebrate?

There are many ways citizens celebrate this beloved day. One of the biggest traditions is that people actually carry around the flag with them wherever they go and make “human chains” across bridges to symbolize unity. Monuments of famous Ukrainian Political activists would often be adorned with flowers or other treats laid down by citizens to show gratitude and honor. Often times, political protests and demonstrations are also in effect throughout the day to either express desire for more progress or honor the same action and spirit of the day 95 years ago.

However, while demonstrations seem to be a focal point of the day, there is one other aspect that remains constant in the heart of many citizens: food. People often times indulge in traditional Ukrainian delicacies to commemorate the air of present patriotism. One of their most famous dishes is Borsch which, according to travel2ukraine.blogspot.com, is a soup whose broth is often made up of beets, potatoes, carrots, spinach and meat. While this may be eaten as a main dish, it is mostly eaten as an appetizer accompanied by bread. One other popular treat is Chicken Kyiv which is a boneless chicken breast that has been pounded and rolled around with cold garlic butter and herbs and subsequently fried or baked.

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Beth Worthy

Beth Worthy is the President of GMR Transcription Services, Inc an Orange County, California based company that has been providing accurate and affordable transcription services since 2004. She has enjoyed success at GMR for almost ten years now and has helped the company grow. Within two years of Beth managing GMR Transcription, it had doubled in sales and was named one of the OC Business Journal’s fastest-growing private companies. Outside of work, she likes spending time with her husband and two kids.